

So soldiers bit the bullet to be able to endure the pain of surgery without anaesthesia. On the battlefield, what was primarily available was a bullet or a leather strap. All soldiers have to bite the bullet when they get their drafting letter.īefore the discovery of anaesthesia, when soldiers were wounded in battle and had to be treated or undergo surgery, they were made to bite on something hard to keep them from screaming out in pain.


Having something in the mouth also prevented the patient from screaming into the doctor's ears. This was done to help the patient endure the pain, not to get rid of it. When doctors operated on patients, they didn't give them anesthesia, they merely gave them something to bite on - a piece of wood or a piece of iron. If you have an exam, you might say you want to bite the bullet. But in the old days, there were no painkillers. synonyms for bite the bullet be forced bow to fate cross the Rubicon face the music have no choice know no alternative leap into the breach pay the. An idiom is a phrase or an expression that has a particular meaning that differs from. When the pain becomes acute, it is possible these days to take a painkiller. By doing all these things you don't get rid of the pain, you merely lessen it. What does he mean by to bite the bullet ? What is it that you normally do when you are in terrible pain? You usually clench your fist, grit your teeth, or bite on something. Perhaps it's his way of ensuring that we get the required iron into our system. What is the origin and meaning of the expression to Bite The Bullet?Įvery year, after the budget speech, the Finance Minister invariably tells us to bite the bullet. The first recorded use of the phrase was in 1891 in The Light that Failed. Origin: In the olden days, when doctors were short on anesthesia or time during a battle, they would ask the patient to bite down on a bullet to distract from the pain.
#ANOTHER PHRASE FOR BITING THE BULLET FULL#
Whilst browsing through this list, at one full swoop you will pick up many words with the same or a related and the opposite meaning. Meaning: To accept something difficult or unpleasant. This site in general and this page on To Bite The Bullet in particular will certainly help the visitors to increase their knowledge of vocabulary in an exhaustive way.
